Climate Change Vs Water:
This Needs our Attention!!
 

Several studies around the globe show that climate change is likely to have a significant impact on the availability of water resources. At present, changes in cropping and land-use patterns, over-exploitation of water storage and changes in irrigation and drainage are modifying the hydrological cycle in the climate of the regions and river basins of India.

A warmer climate will accelerate the hydrological cycle, altering the rainfall, magnitude and timing of the run-off. Warm air holds more moisture and increases the evaporation of surface moisture. With more moisture in the atmosphere, rainfall and snowfall events tend to be more intense, increasing the potential for floods. However, if there is little or no moisture in the soil to evaporate, the incident solar radiation goes into raising the temperature, which could contribute to longer and more severe droughts. Therefore, any change in the climate will affect the soil moisture, groundwater recharge and frequency of flood or drought episodes and, finally, the groundwater level in different areas.

This is a serious issue in the Indian context since groundwater is the mainstay for meeting the domestic needs of more than 80% of rural and 50% of urban population, besides fulfilling the irrigation needs of around 50% of the irrigated agriculture. It has been estimated that 70–80% of the value of irrigated production in India comes from groundwater irrigation. Around two-fifths of India’s agricultural output is contributed from areas irrigated by groundwater.

Apart from water quantity, water quality is also likely to deteriorate as changes in climate would result in sea level rise, further leading to:

• Contamination of coastal surface and groundwater resources, as saltwater intrudes into rivers, deltas and aquifers

• Reduced groundwater availa-bility, leading to higher chances of contamination with fluoride, arsenic, nitrate and iron

• Increased water temperatures, leading to more algal and bacterial blooms that further contaminate the water supplies

• Increased precipitation and flooding, which would enhance erosion rates and wash away the soil-based pollutants and toxins into water bodies

• Environmental health risks associated with water. For instance, changes in precipitation patterns are likely to increase flooding and, as a result, mobilise more pathogens and contami-nants. It is estimated that by 2030 the risk of diarrhoea will be up to 10% higher in some countries due to climate change

Apart from agriculture and rural areas, the industry is also likely to face water scarcity problems. While no India-specific studies have been done to assess water-related risks on businesses, a new report by Ceres and the Pacific Institute (http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=1041) evaluates water-related risks to eight water-intensive sectors globally: technology, beverage, food, electric power/energy, apparel, biotech-nology/pharmaceuticals, forest products and mining. The main conclusion of the report is that each of these sectors faces serious near- and long-term economic risks related to their water dependence. Numerous industry sectors should expect decreased water allotments, shifts towards full-cost water pricing and ever-more stringent water quality regulations.

At the ecosystems level, the resilience of many ecosystems and their ability to adapt naturally is likely to be exceeded by 2100 by an unprecedented combination of change in climate, associated disturbances (e.g., flooding, drought, wildfire) and other global change drivers (e.g., land-use change). Greater rainfall variability is likely to compromise wetlands through shifts in the timing, duration and depth of water levels. Of all the ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems will have the highest proportion of species threatened with extinction due to climate change.

Integrated Solutions

Considering the enormity of the challenges, better approaches to land and water management are required to strengthen the buoyancy of the resource base and the population who depend on these resources. Such approaches are intricately connected with long-term strategies for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. In reality, there is very little actually happening on the ground that is formally identified as work on water resources management and climate change. However, sovereign adaptations to climate variability have been recorded. While there is still a long way to go to define practical agendas for action which combine climate change and the provision of water for life, we shall take a look at some of the potential measures below.

Quantity

Adaptation measures designed to ensure water availability during varying climatic conditions require integrated strategies on the demand as well as supply side management. Innovations in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), with approaches in both supply and demand management, have led to improvements in water resource sustainability in many parts of the world. Improved management of irrigation channels and pond construction, combined with soil erosion control, can improve efficiency of water management systems. Rainwater harvesting efforts to recharge aquifers, particularly in parts of India, provide useful lessons for augmenting the water supply in areas of increasing groundwater extraction and rainfall variability.

A key area for improvement is in the arena of water use efficiency, through the concept of Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycling. A large part of this can be achieved by awareness generation and provision of support services to consumers. An expanded use of economic incentives, including metering and pricing, to encourage water conservation and development of water markets and implementation of virtual water trade, also holds considerable promise for water savings and the reallocation of water to highly valued uses.

Development Alternatives (DA) initiative in Bundelkhand region of Central India on ‘Holistic Water Management’ has addressed some of above issues by appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures. DA has constructed more than 130 check dams and 70 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures to recharge and conserve water, thereby bridging the demand and supply gap in a catchment of 100 villages.

Quality

For surface and groundwater resources, attention should be paid not only to the quantity but also the quality of water supply, particularly in peri-urban areas. According to a study (Desakota Study Team, 2008) landscape management plans that employ ‘patchy’ areas of semi-natural woods or grasslands may provide ecological buffers that reduce the adverse hydrological and ecological effects of urbanisation, and improve water-related ecosystem services). Although integrated management of peri-urban areas in this manner would affect only small geographic areas, it would also reduce the risks for very large populations of the urban poor.

Institutions

The presence and effectiveness of Governance mechanism will play a key role in integrating the impacts of climate change in mainstream planning. New resource co-management institutions that provide stronger roles for local institutions in governance for land and water management have demonstrated that they can be more responsive to local conditions as also flexible enough to respond to uncertainty. However, they have also been criticised for exacerbating current social inequities and for their limited management expertise and capacity, lack of budgetary support and for the confusion caused by new management organisations, weakening the existing local government bodies. Role clarity, accountability and broader access to information will be important to assure that these new resource management institutions can function effectively. This requires linkages with governance mechanisms, scientific resources and socio-economic networks at multiple scales.

The experience with land and water management suggests that local adaptive responses will need to employ integrated and holistic approaches across sectors, and with as much attention to livelihoods, social relations, governance and human capital as to ecosystem function. Building adaptive capacity means moving away from prescriptive management towards enabling strategies that will help the underprivileged women and men to build their asset base, thereby enhancing their resilience to environmental and economic shocks. These approaches can be supported by local-level adaptation planning and practice that is inclusive, participatory and learning-oriented. Local adaptation approaches can reinforce new strategies for land and water management, but should link to national and regional decision making, to ensure appropriate information, policy coordination, integrated planning and shared learning for effective adaptive management. Some of the measures recommended by the Tear Fund in their reports are:

• Focus on ‘linked-up’ cross-sectoral approaches to water resources management planning (e.g., integration with land, agricultural and mining sectors), systematically considering the implications of climate change within these approaches. In reality, the institutional frameworks necessary for good sectoral integration are barely in place in India. It is important, however, that an integrated approach to water management remains the ultimate aim in development planning and that steps are made towards this end, such as encouraging good communication between ministerial departments and ensuring synergy between sectors as far as possible in policy planning and implementation

• Ensure a pro-poor approach to water resources management that encompasses a range of solutions differentiated according to the needs of different groups. In the last three decades, India has made great efforts to develop large infrastructure schemes to meet water needs for key economic sectors, cities and rural areas. However, communities that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and variability should be targeted, and appropriate sustainable solutions that reflect their needs and interests should be prioritised over stand-alone infrastructure investments

• Ensure that climate risk information, where available, is made accessible and also used to inform water-planning strategies. Existing climate knowledge generated by specialist national and regional institutions should be translated into comprehensible formats and shared widely. The establishment of regional research centres that collate information about climate risk from all relevant sources could be a potential way forward. It is essential that this information is not retained for use solely at a central level but is accessible to poor and vulnerable communities. In addition, further climate risk studies should be funded so as to share knowledge regarding water policy in areas where the information is currently lacking

• Respond to the needs of communities as livelihoods and cultures alter as a result of climate change and water scarcity. For example, one must ensure the availability of information and learning opportunities for income diversification in the semi-arid climate, and improved access to education on a broader scale for poor and vulnerable people

• Strengthen the adaptive capacity at the local level by supporting the localised water resources approaches that are adapting to climate variability, and recognise that these can play a key role in national water policy planning. Technical and financial support is needed to help develop long-term sustainable adaptation solutions by building on current local approaches. Additional technical advice and access to micro-credit to fund investments are examples of resources required to support communities to adapt to their water usage. Examples of local interventions that could potentially be replicated and developed, include:

¨ Development of rain-fed agricultural systems that are easy to operate and maintain locally
¨ Improved management of soil moisture in rain-fed areas
¨ Increased investment in water harvesting and small storage schemes
¨ Small-scale community based irrigation schemes
¨ Improved smallholder-based irrigation schemes
¨ Development of water supply to meet multiple and diverse water users
¨ Improved water access for livestock in arid and semi-arid areas

Research Needs

The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has clearly identified that several gaps in knowledge exist in terms of observations and research needs related to climate change and water. Observational data and data access are the prerequisites for adaptive management, yet many observational networks are shrinking. There is a need to improve understanding and modelling of climate changes related to the hydrological cycle at scales relevant to decision making. Information about the water-related impacts of climate change is inadequate – especially with respect to water quality, aquatic ecosystems and groundwater – including their socio-economic dimensions. Finally, it needs to be highlighted that current tools to facilitate integrated appraisals of adaptation and mitigation options across multiple water-dependent sectors are inadequate.

Conclusion

As the world continues its current patterns of production and consumption, the future is at great risk. It is no longer possible for us to seek solutions for individual problems in an isolated manner. Meeting challenges in climate and water calls for, among other things, switching to food systems that conserve water and that are net emission mitigators. Today’s leaders have the opportunity to invest in multifunctional agricultural systems and agro-ecological practices that will help mitigate climate change problems, help conserve land and water resources, and simultaneously build vibrant rural communities for whom agriculture is a rewarding way of life. We know how to chart this path. What is most needed is the collective political will to move in a direction that is sustainable, equitable and fair. q

M Manoj Kumar
mkumar@devalt@org